Hello,<BR><BR>I've read through many posts here and would like to humbly request some advice. I'm about to take my first trip to London from the US, for four days. <BR><BR>I'd like to visit the Normandy Beaches and Cemetery for one of the days. <BR><BR>1.) I understand that the Chunnel will take me from Dover to Calais, but how do I get to the Beaches from Calais?<BR><BR>2.) My London hotel is near the Baker St. Tube station. Can I take the Tube to Dover?<BR><BR>3.) The idea of an above ground journey to Normandy (via ferry or hover) sounds good, but is it expensive? How long will it take to cross the Channel?<BR><BR>4.) Will I need to convert to a different currency when I arrive in Calais? <BR><BR>I am sorry for the ignorance I have displayed here... this is my first international trip and I hope to learn from the experienced people who have done all of this many times before!<BR><BR>Thank you!<BR><BR>Jeff

Hi Jeff<BR><BR>Haven't been to the beaches, but here is some info:<BR><BR>2) No. You will need to take a train from (I think) Victoria Station to get to Dover.<BR><BR>3) A Ferry would take under an hour, hovercraft about 30mins<BR><BR>4) Yes - Britain uses Pound Sterling, France uses the Euros.

One more thing, you should be able to get train information on<BR>www.thetrainline.com<BR><BR>Have just had a quick look on the web, and it seems that Hoverspeed have stopped their Dover/Calais service, so you might not be able to do that (you'd need to do more investigating). The ferry would be much cheaper than Chunnel.

I have the exact same questions--I will be in London with my wife in April--we return 11 days later from Paris--since we had been in London before I wanted to cross to France on way to Paris see the exact same thing--but hard to figure. (I have about decided to take Eurostar to Paris and do next time!)<BR><BR>Best I can figure--<BR>1) Rent a car only way. Hertz will rent from Calais. You can book it online. (As will others I'm sure--around $80 for cheapest car for day manual no air economy) It is around 140 miles to beaches I gather. (Hertz has a LE Swap program where you get a car in England and drive thru chunnel (pass included) and swap for right hand side drive car in France--but requires several day rental and quite expensive--) <BR><BR>2)Trains depart to Dover from the big London station. 1 hour 45 minutes--Not sure all details but I researched so yes but does take awhile. (not tube but a train)<BR>3)Takes about 35 minutes to cross via ferry. Not too expensvie. Leaves on half hour--I priced both before But I can not recall. Not bad maybe $30 or so. <BR>4) Well u can charge rental car--and atm out some Euros so should not be a factor. <BR><BR>My problem is do I want to train to Dover, Ferry to Calias, rent a car and drive 3 hours, tour beaches and then return car to Paris (do not wanna return car to Calias)--not sure I wanna spent a day and half doing that--<BR><BR>I hear Caen Peace Museum is interesting way to start day and most folks stay there. or Bayeaux (sp.) Also there is a place Villeas something (sorry can't quite recall name)sp. nearby--14 miles from beaches where the best copper cookware in world made--lotsa people shop there when touring beaches)--<BR><BR>So yes (I have been only to England once 12 years ago) but I have struggled with same stuff---u can do I suppose--but hell of a day!<BR>af <BR>

fyi:Caen's excellent Museum of the Battle of Normandy offers guided minivan tours of the D-Day beaches. Tours include admission to the museum. Half-day tours depart at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and cover Longues-sur-Mer, Pegasus bridge, Arromanches, Courseulles, and Douvres for $50. Full-day tours ( 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) add the American and German cemeteries, St. Mere l'Eglise, and lunch, and cost roughly $75. (Contact the Caen Museum and pay in advance, tel. 02 31 06 06 44 — as in June 6, 1944.) <BR><BR>

You could also fly - - to Caen or to Dinard. The one day car rental will eat up any savings. May or may not be advantageous. It's gonna be a long day, any way you go about it.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>[email protected]<BR>

I'm going to Normandy from London in June and have researched this some. As far as I can tell, there are no trains from Calais to Caen or Bayeaux. You have to go to Paris (which I'm doing)and on to Caen from there. So you may have to rent a car in Calais or fly. <BR><BR>Alternatively, you could ferry to Le Havre from South Hampton or Portsmouth (I think), but these appear to very slow, as they cross the Channel at one its wider points. <BR><BR>